The Irish completely outclassed a sloppy Trojans team, storming out to a four-touchdown lead en route to a 49-14 win at raucous Notre Dame Stadium. Coach Brian Kelly's team applied a familiar formula -- big-chunk runs with a bevy of ball carriers, opportunistic defense and timely passes -- to record its fifth straight win, and its first over a ranked opponent.

Julian Love returned his second interception of the season for a touchdown and running back Josh Adams had another big day, rushing for 202 yards, to help No. 9 Notre Dame beat 14th-ranked North Carolina State 35-14 on a blustery Saturday.

The Eagles, Best Buy and science camp: Our favorite Nick Saban stories on his 66th birthday

It's Halloween, which means it's Nick Saban's birthday. What do you get the guy who has five national championship rings, a seemingly indestructible machine of a program ranked No.1 and is the sport's highest-paid coach? Well, we don't know, either. So rather than try to figure it out, we're just going to tell some of our favorite stories about the coach, including a bunch you likely haven't heard before.

South Bend's pot of gold: The economy of a Notre Dame football weekend

On a perfect October night, Notre Dame players and coaches gather in the northwest corner of Notre Dame to sing the alma mater after their biggest win over rival USC in 40 years. But they aren't the only ones celebrating.

Secret services: The hidden sports finances of Army, Navy and Air Force

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis earns an annual salary of $207,800, according to public records. He oversees a department whose massive budget recently listed $8.2 billion for the Missile Defense Agency and $403 million for tactical Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The Nick Saban Decade began in Atlanta in August 2008 with a 34-10 victory over No. 9 Clemson so one-sided that Tigers coach Tommy Bowden came out and said his team had been "whipped about every way you get whipped" -- a remarkable thing for a coach to say.